Although armor plating has improved significantly over the past several decades, such exterior plating is insufficient to withstand the intense shock or loading transferred to the interior of the vehicle as a result of a exploding mine. To address this, some seat assemblies are provided with blast mitigation components such as, for example a blast box that collapses under the vertical impact of an IED, mine, or other explosive device. The collapse is controlled in the sense that it is desired to absorb a certain amount of energy and thereby help protect the occupant of the vehicle.
Known seat assemblies mounted to such blast mitigation devices cannot readily be configured with integrated or All belts to seat (ABTS) restraints such that the assembly passes frontal crash force regulatory requirements, such as the U.S. FMVSS requirements (207, 208, 210). ABTS seat assemblies are seat assemblies where all seat belt mechanisms are affixed to the seat instead of mounted on the floor, the roof, or a side pillar of the vehicle (commonly called vehicle mounted restraints). It would be desirable to provide a seat assembly with blast mitigation which also has ABTS and is sufficiently strong to meet regulatory requirements.